Scary zombie film from England

Rating: 7/10 (22 December 2018)

Zombies, when done correctly can scare like the best of monster movies. 28 Days Later is dark, the video quality is dubious (it was shot on digital video to curtail cost and provide a grittier look), and the subject matter is familiar. But the filmmakers counter these questionable qualities with solid performances, an intelligent script, and sure-handed direction. The result is a movie that kept me involved from start to finish. When Boyle wants to shock us, he has no trouble doing so. There's a little of George A. Romero (Night of the Living Dead) here. Several scenes in which the infected attack are genuinely creepy. One sequence in particular - in which Jim and Frank race to change a tire while a band of infected relentlessly approach - generates as much tension as any other 2003 motion picture. This is followed in short order by an effective character building sequence in which the protagonists enjoy a picnic while ruminating about what, if anything, the future might hold. Suddenly, Jim and Selena have become aware that the mantra of "just survive" is not enough.